Dealing with the Devil
by streetsymphony
Summary: After losing the Pokémon League, a shattered Gary heads back into the Kanto region to investigate recent Mew sightings. Along the way, he finds comfort in an old friend, the legendary psychic Pokémon, and notes left to him by the mysterious R.B.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: The standard stuff. I don't own Pokémon, the characters, etc. I did, however, create the original characters and the plot.

A/N: This is something that's been taking shape for ten years. It took me this long to share because I was never really happy with the concept. Several rewrites and drafts later, here it is.

* * *

**Dealing with the Devil**

**Chapter One**

"Later, Ash."

Gary's smug smile was the last thing Ash saw as the auburn-haired boy hopped back into his car and headed for home. Truth be told, it was the only thing Gary wanted him to see. If his rival, the one person who couldn't see him play the fool, knew about his inner turmoil, he couldn't face another trainer. Ash Ketchum was weaker than he was. He didn't have the knowledge or the skill that Gary Oak possessed. No way could Gary show hesitation, even now that he'd lost the most important battle of his life. If he locked eyes with Ash, the other trainer would see that he wasn't as calm as he seemed, so Gary refused to meet his gaze.

The tangled mess of knots that had become Gary's stomach felt like it was trying to force its way up his throat. Maybe it was the car ride. Yes, that had to be it. Riding in the car was beginning to get to him. Perhaps it hadn't been a great idea to use it on his Pokémon journey. Pokémon—no. Gary didn't want to think about Pokémon now. Not after his Nidoking had been pummeled by that Golem even though he put all he had into training it from a little Nidoran. Eyes burning, Gary's hand flew up to his face to wipe at the tears that were forming. He couldn't let a soul see that.

What hurt the most was that he had no idea what to do now. Where should he go from here? He began to ponder as his slim fingers nervously toyed with the yin and yang pendant at the end of his necklace. Each flash of green and yellow brought a new question: Did he go home and quit or keep going and fight? The fight seemed to have been sapped from him, though, and what was his grandfather going to say? What were people going to say? Grandson of the world famous Pokémon researcher, Professor Oak, can't even make it to the finals of the Pokémon League. He should have had it. He should have known all the right moves to make, and he felt like he had. So why did he fail?

"Gary?" asked Pam, one of his cheerleaders and designated chauffeur. "Where did you want to stay tonight? Did you want to go back to Pallet or stop at a hotel tonight?"

"The hotels will be really full tonight just like they've been all throughout the league," Gary replied, finally snapping out of his thoughts. "Let's just go home."

Pam's curls bounced as she nodded and turned left. Gary wasn't so sure home was what he wanted, but what else could he do? He'd figure things out when he got there. Maybe talk to his grandfather—his grandfather. Professor Oak was going to be so disappointed.

Looking back, Gary could easily recall the rush of adrenaline as the battle began. During his first couple of rounds, he made it look effortless, taking down Melissa's first two Pokémon without breaking a sweat.

Then she had used the Golem.

With a heavy heart, Gary watched as Arcanine and Dodrio fell. Hoping that Golem was growing weaker from the battle and that Nidoking could finish it, he threw his last Pokéball, his last hope between victory and defeat. There had to be a chance. After all, Nidoking had beaten the Golem at the Viridian City gym. The announcer gave the call to begin the final round, and Gary commanded Nidoking to use take down.

No good. Nidoking was stopped in its tracks, and with its trainer's coaching, Golem threw Nidoking to the ground. Gary felt his heart stop. His head ached with all the questions running through it. "Is Nidoking OK? What just happened? How did that Golem get so strong? Why hasn't Nidoking gotten up yet? What will Grandpa think? Where did I go wrong? Nidoking…" As the announcer pronounced Nidoking defeated, Gary fell to his knees, unable to stand. The sting of defeat was like knives trying to claw through his stomach.

The feeling hadn't left Gary even after Pam pulled up to the Oak Research Laboratory. In fact, he was sure that any minute, the knives were going to tear right through the purple fabric of his shirt. He hopped out of the car and grabbed his bag, tears still resting in his eyes.

"Gary," said a brunette cheerleader. "Are you OK?"

"Sure, Marissa," he said, flashing her the same smirk he had given Ash earlier that day. "I'll see you girls later."

Gary slowly approached the front door and noticed that his grandfather had left a note hanging on it. He was gone. He was going to see Ash's next match. Gary sighed. He hadn't even bothered to turn on the radio to hear how Ash's battle had gone that day. Besides, if Gary Oak couldn't make it past his fourth battle, then surely Ash Ketchum couldn't either. What was so special about Ash anyway? Why couldn't the professor make it to his own grandson's battles?

Once inside, Gary raided the refrigerator and fell onto the sofa. He hadn't eaten since breakfast and had suddenly realized just how hungry he was. With his stomach sounding like a Growlithe, he surrounded himself with food. After tearing into two sandwiches, a large bag of potato chips, and some leftover pizza, he downed an entire can of Soda Pop in one gulp. Feeling only a little better now that he had taken care of his hunger pangs, he switched on the television to check the day's results of the Pokémon League.

He soon wished he hadn't.

While he had missed the coverage of his own match, thank goodness, he did see the results of Ash's battle. He'd won. But how? How had Ash made it further in the Pokémon League than Gary? He shut off the television. All he wanted to do was go to bed. Then all of this would go away. Dragging his feet upstairs, Gary collapsed on his bed without taking off his clothes. Even in sleep, he was restless. When he closed his eyes, all he could see was Golem driving Nidoking into the ground.

* * *

Ash lost. How could they both lose? Maybe Ash's fourth round win was a fluke. Maybe Gary really was the better trainer, and that Richie kid was just too good.

These little assurances that Gary would have gladly accepted just a few days ago seemed to fall short of the truth. Even Gary knew it, and that's what scared him the most. He'd never felt as afraid during the daytime as he did when he stepped outside of his grandfather's laboratory on that clear, sunny morning. He made his way over to the Nidoran enclosure, wondering how Nidoking was feeling that day. He had been so caught up in his own misery that he'd forgotten about his Pokémon.

"Hey, Nidoking," said Gary as he hopped over the fence. "How have you been feeling?"

Nidoking glanced up from the ground where it had been sleeping alongside Gary's Nidorina. It shifted to one side in order to see its trainer better. The grin on its face told Gary it had been enjoying its rest. He smiled back at the Pokémon and walked over to where it lay. He bent down and rubbed its nose.

"You did good the other day, Nidoking. I know that battle was tough, and you've beaten Golem before, but this wasn't like other battles. We were getting closer to the end, and we knew they would get tougher." Gary was surprised at the words coming out of his mouth. They were the words he expected to hear from his grandfather after he saw him again. These were words he expected to hear Ash say to his Pokémon after a loss. In fact, he was probably telling his Pikachu the same thing at this moment. Gary frowned. The last thing he wanted to do was become like his rival. His rival who pulled out a Pokédex in the middle of a league match to figure out what a Kingler was.

"Anyway," Gary continued, his voice growing stern. "We'll just have to train harder this year. We'll get better and come back fighting."

Nidoking let out a growl of approval.

"Rest for now," said Gary. "We've got a whole year before the next Pokémon League competition."

Standing up and stretching, Gary took a look around at his grandfather's ranch. The Pokémon there all seemed happy. They should. Professor Oak spent more time with them than he spent with Gary lately. He walked back up to the house, feeling bitter. Ash and the Pokémon, that was all his grandfather talked about anymore.

Reaching for the doorknob, Gary noticed a small note taped to the door. The envelope had his name written on it in a unfamiliar scrawl. He carefully pulled out a single card.

"I understand. –R.B."

"Who's R.B.?" Gary said out loud. Shaking his head, he stuffed the card into his pocket and headed into the house. He had enough to worry about without silly notes getting involved.

* * *

Gary found himself staring at the pile of research that was his grandfather's desk. It was easy to tell he'd become caught up in something before leaving to see Ash's battle. Gary began to straighten the papers only because it gave him something to do. He didn't want to think about battles right now, so he used mindless work to forget about it.

On top of one of the many stacks of papers was a sketch of a Pikachu. Pikachu. Ash. Ash making it to the top 16. Gary felt rage rush from the soles of his feet to the tips of his spiky auburn hair. Without thinking, he knocked the pile of papers with the Pikachu on top to the floor. Still not satisfied, he angrily shoved another stack to the floor after that one. Before he knew it, pens and folders followed as he blindly tore apart Professor Oak's desk. He fell to his knees, tears running down his face as he felt the same knives from earlier clawing away at his stomach.

Feeling a gentle touch on his shoulder, Gary jumped up, startled.

"Come on," said the professor. "Let's clean this up."

Gary feverishly rubbed the tears from his face and stood up again.

"I'm sorry, Grandpa."

"It's all right," the professor replied kindly. "We'll just get this cleaned up and have some tea."

Gary simply nodded and began to gather the papers that were strewn across the floor. His grandfather did the same but didn't say anything. The silence was eerie. He had never meant for the professor to see those tears. Then again, maybe he might actually start paying some attention to him.

"I'm sorry," Gary said again.

"It's all right, Gary. I wasn't expecting you to be happy about the other day."

"No, I mean for…" Gary's words trailed off, and he couldn't finish his sentence.

"Oh, Gary," said Professor Oak. "That doesn't matter. No one expected you to win the entire competition the first year you entered. I would have been surprised. Proud, but surprised."

Gary stared at the floor. Did that mean his grandfather didn't even believe in him?

"It isn't that you're a bad trainer, Gary. You're very good. You know that. It's just that some of those trainers have been entering and participating in the Pokémon League for years. They all have tricks and strategies for winning. You made it far, and I'm proud of you."

"Thanks, Grandpa," Gary replied. Those were some of the first words of encouragement he'd heard from his grandfather in a long time. Would it have killed him to say that when he won his eighth badge or his tenth, two more than was necessary to compete in the Pokémon League? Grabbing another page of research off of the floor, one word caught his eye and quickly turned his mood around. He skimmed it quickly. "Um, Gramps?"

"Yes, Gary?"

"Mew has been sighted? In Kanto?"

"Well, it could very well just be a rumor or hoax. It's hard to tell with legendary Pokémon. It is rumored that a Mew fossil was found in South America, but I haven't seen the results of that research. Mainly because the lab where it was said to have been taken is now destroyed, along with any evidence the fossil ever existed. Unfortunately, we'll never know about that specific case." The professor rose and picked up a picture off of the desk. "Take a look."

Staring hard at the picture in his hands, Gary had to squint to see a pink blur.

"It's obviously moving, so it probably is a Pokémon, and it seems like it was moving so fast that it couldn't be a Wigglytuff or Clefairy. It could just as easily be a fast, shiny Pokémon that's pink instead of its natural color."

"You're exactly right, Gary. We have no way to tell if it's Mew. Ash has even told me he's seen a pink Butterfree. If we pair that with the fact that we're just now beginning to learn about shiny Pokémon, your guess could be correct. The photographer claims it is Mew. He is a psychic Pokémon trainer and said his Alakazam was picking up psychic energy from it. We haven't gotten very far with this case. Of course, no Mew case has ever really been closed."

Gary stiffened at the mention of his rival. He was tired of hearing that name. He just wanted one chance to battle him and prove that he was the better trainer. He continued to focus on the pink blur in the picture. Wait a minute.

"Grandpa, where exactly was it sighted?"

"Oh, hmm. Cinnabar Island. That's also what has me worried it's a hoax. The lab that was said to have housed the Mew fossil was located there. It may just be someone's idea of a joke. It almost fits too perfectly. Still, someone from Viridian City claimed to have seen it very recently, so it may be true. Although, it could also have been a copycat sighting simply for the attention. However, and I know this might sound like an old man's rambling, but, I believe in the sightings. It's a gut feeling."

As his grandfather spoke, Gary made up his mind. If he could find this Pokémon and capture it, he could prove to everyone—himself included that he was the great trainer he'd always thought he was. He could beat Ash and win the Pokémon League next year without breaking a sweat. He'd studied with his grandfather long enough to know that it was rumored that Mew could learn any attack taught by a technical machine.

"Grandpa," Gary began. "What if someone were to search for this Pokémon?"

"I know what you're thinking, Gary," the professor said sternly. "Very few people have ever seen it. So few that we don't even know if the Pokémon ever existed, if the fossil was found in South America at all. If it exists, it only purposely shows itself to certain trainers."

"Yes, but I just feel like it wouldn't be a fruitless journey. I think I could find it if I tried."

Professor Oak sighed and stared at his grandson. He shouldn't have told him about his gut instinct. He should have known that would interest him.

"I don't know, Gary," the professor shook his head.

"Gramps, I just feel like I need to do something. Go somewhere. I can't just wait around for next year."

Studying his grandson's face, Professor Oak realized that this could have more of an impact on his grandson than he thought. Chances were very low that Gary would see Mew, but maybe he would discover that disappointments would happen. Up until this point, he'd battled every trainer that came his way with ease, caught every Pokémon he found. Gary needed to know that not everything was going to go his way. He needed a new journey, and even if he did see Mew, maybe it would help boost his confidence again. Even if Gary was able to keep up a brick wall, his grandfather would see through it. He knew how disappointed he was right now.

"All right," the professor finally relented. "You may go."

"All right, thanks, Grandpa!" Gary nearly charged up the stairs to pack up before he left.

"Gary," said his grandfather. "I must ask you to be careful on this journey. I have no doubt that Team Rocket will be on the lookout for this Pokémon because of the rumors. You are strong and probably capable of handling them, but I want you to be prepared. Know that they will not spare anyone who gets in their way. Please be careful."

"I will, Grandpa."

"Oh, and Gary," said the professor before Gary could take off up the stairs again. "You can collect your participation badge at the closing ceremonies tomorrow. There will also be a party for Ash to celebrate his achievement of making it to the top sixteen," the professor's voice quieted.

No way could Gary face either of those events. He didn't want to feel like a poor sport about the league, but he didn't feel like he could face that place. He didn't even want to look at Ash either. There was a good chance he'd be physically ill if he did.

"No, that's OK."

"I understand. I'll leave you to get ready."

Gary shuffled around his room, digging up his backpack and sleeping bag. Camping out wasn't normally his style, but if he missed Mew because he was curled up in a hotel somewhere, he'd never forgive himself. As he made a list of supplies he needed to pick up from the pokémart the next morning, he dug into his pocket, looking for a scrap of paper. He pulled out the note from earlier. He still had no idea who R.B. was. Gary tossed it into his backpack, deciding to figure it out later. He didn't want to think about it. Whenever he did, the knives came back to attack his stomach. Who could possibly understand?


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Crystal is an original character and is NOT based on any former characters from the games or manga. I have a personal attachment to this character I created years ago. While she does have a purpose here, I'm also using her to help me with some of my original fiction.

* * *

**Dealing with the Devil**

**Chapter Two**

"Fifteen pokéballs, five potions, seven antidotes, and three paralyze heals. Will there be anything else?"

"Are you sure you don't have anything stronger than a pokéball?" Gary asked the mart owner.

"No, sorry, Gary," the man replied. Gary wasn't that surprised. The Pallet Town pokémart was brand new, and Viridian City never had great balls either. "I hear Cerulean City just got some in, though. You might have some luck when you get there."

"Thanks," Gary replied, grateful for this information. He slid his bank card across the counter to pay for his purchase.

"By the way, someone left a note for you this morning. They didn't say who they were but asked me to give it to you and told me not to open it."

"Strange," Gary said, taking the small envelope and his bank card from the shopkeeper. "Thanks, Tim."

Once outside of the shop, Gary took a look at the note. It had his name written in the same unfamiliar scrawl he had found just yesterday at his grandfather's lab. Now this was starting to creep Gary out. Who was it that knew his whereabouts? He had only told his grandfather where he'd be going. How did this person know he was setting out and going to the pokémart that morning? He quickly flipped the envelope open and pulled out another small card.

"Things will be better. Stay strong. –R. B."

What did that mean? Of course things would be better. He was going to get stronger. How redundant. Still, Gary couldn't help but slip the note in his backpack with the other one. He still didn't think the person who was writing these notes understood, and it bothered him to think about what had happened during the tournament. However, maybe a little encouragement couldn't hurt.

Gary was still pondering who might be sending him the short notes as he walked along the path to Viridian City, ignoring the Rattata and Pidgey he'd caught when he first set out over a year ago. While he did think that catching as many Pokémon as he could was a good idea, he had caught several of these species when he first set out.

Besides, the fact that someone could possibly be stalking him, no matter how kind their intentions seemed at the moment, was a scary thought and eating up most of his attention. What if that person was just trying to get him to trust him and was planning on raping or killing him? Then again, why go to all that trouble of sending him notes when whoever it was could just do whatever it was he was going to do? He began to wonder if he was being silly about the notes. He had only received two, and they appeared to be harmless despite how awful they made him feel at first for reminding him that he lost. Deep in thought and quite tired from waking up early, Gary wasn't exactly prepared for any surprises.

"Gary!" came a familiar female voice as he was suddenly tackled and hit the ground like a dead weight. For a moment, he couldn't register what was happening to him.

"Wow," said the girl. "You have the reflexes of a dead Miltank."

"Uh…" was Gary's only response as he stared up at his attacker. He almost didn't believe what he saw.

"What's the matter, Gary?" The girl shook her blue bangs out of her eyes and tucked a few lose strands of hair from her ponytail behind her ear. "You look like you've seen a Ghastly."

"C…Crys…Crystal?" Gary finally managed to stutter out. "What are you doing here?"

"Nice to see you too, Gary," she teased and rolled her eyes. "It's only been four years since I last saw you."

"What are you doing here?" Gary asked. "Not that I'm not happy to see you," he quickly added.

"I competed in the Pokémon League too," she replied as she held out her hand to help him up. "I'm about to start heading back to Fuchsia."

"Oh." Gary might have been happier if he was more awake. He gratefully took her hand and got back to his feet. "So, uh, you were near town for a while?"

"Yep," Crystal responded, dusting some dirt off of her lavender hoodie and blue jeans. "I thought about stopping in Pallet, and then I've got a long trek home. Mom really wants to see me. She said she really missed me when I was gone, and she's getting a bit worried."

"Uh huh," Gary replied, thinking about his own grandfather. Professor Oak had barely noticed his absence. In fact, when Gary stopped at home before the Pokémon League began, the professor stated as much, claiming he hardly noticed the time pass since he spent most days researching and, of course, taking care of the Pokémon. "I didn't see you at the Indigo Plateau," Gary finally said in an effort to forget about his grandfather.

"There were so many people there; I don't know how you could. I found out you were competing, though, so I watched some of your battles when I knew about them. Ash's too."

"Great," Gary said absentmindedly, still feeling tired and a bit shaken from having someone jump on top of him.

"Gee, Gary," Crystal said. "Are you always this energetic? Now I see why you _only_ made it to the fourth round."

Gary's eyes narrowed and shot Crystal a glare strong enough to penetrate even Articuno's Blizzard attack. He turned and continued down the road to Viridian City. First she brings up _him_, and then she talks about _that_.

"Gary!" Crystal called, running after him, thoroughly confused. "Did I say something wrong?" Crystal asked.

"I'm sorry I disappointed people with my Pokémon League performance," Gary said in a huff.

"You know I didn't mean it that way! I was being sarcastic!" How had he missed her tone of voice? "Fourth round is great. Think about how many people started out!"

"Why does everyone keep telling me the fourth round is good? Because—"

"It is," Crystal replied, looking puzzled. "I'm glad I got into the tournament even if I didn't win my first battle. I was disappointed but thought about it, and maybe I underestimated things because a couple of those badges were jokes. Did you get the Cascade Badge in Cerulean? Beating that blonde was easier than some of the Rattata trainers I've battled."

"So why did you viciously attack me?" Gary asked, attempting to change the subject as the pair continued to walk down the road. The Pokémon League was the last thing he wanted to discuss right now.

"I was trying to show my Sandslash how to do an effective Take Down," Crystal replied jokingly. "Come on, Gary. It's been a while since I moved to Fuchsia, and I did want to find you and Ash at the Pokémon League, but I couldn't. I thought I'd come back by Professor Oak's to see if either of you stopped by before the closing ceremonies."

"Are you going?" Gary asked.

"No. Mom wants me to come straight home," Crystal rolled her eyes. "Because, according to Koga, Lieutenant Surge has been made aware of Team Rocket agents crawling all over Vermillion at night. It's only a matter of time before they head to other cities, and Surge and the police are having trouble keeping them from attacking trainers. Because it happens at night, it's difficult for the victims to give a good description, especially because the Rocket uniform is completely black."

"Why is your mom so worried? She let you go train Pokémon, and you're still in one piece."

"It's these Rocket agents," Crystal sighed. "She's worried about me getting home. Koga said that Surge said a trainer had his Pokémon stolen last night. It's been the worst to happen so far. Even if he wasn't hurt too badly, it's the first time a trainer was visibly injured."

"Can't you take a train?" Gary asked.

"Because they just built the Magnet Train, it's only running between Saffron and Goldenrod City in the Johto region while they work everything out. Now's a really inconvenient time, but they'd end up running into the league games any year. Mom and I can't afford a taxi for that long of a drive which means I'm stuck traveling on foot. I'm used to it, though, so I don't mind. Mom's just worried is all."

"Well, if there's a lot of Rockets, then doesn't she have reason to worry?"

"I think I can handle a few Rocket agents. Besides, I won't be going into Vermillion. I've just heard a lot from Mom about what Koga's told her."

"And why are the two of you blessed with this knowledge?" Gary asked, staring in bewilderment.

"Mom's been working with Koga on how to breed poison Pokémon for battle. And anyway, Koga likes to keep an eye out for me because of Grandpa."

"I see," Gary replied. Crystal's grandfather was from Celadon City and had been a great trainer in his day. He had become friends with Professor Oak after meeting him at their first tournament. When he got married, he moved to Pallet himself because he wanted to settle down with his family due to his health. "I still don't understand why so many Team Rocket agents are running around and why no one has heard about them."

"Everyone's so absorbed in the Pokémon League right now, it just isn't big news yet. Team Rocket agents may not be the brightest in the world, but they've got some smart people at the top, I think. They wouldn't make a huge fuss during an event that large if there's a plan they're hatching. The police are going to make an official statement. Since the worst happened last night, they decided to release it sooner than later. The only reason the gym leaders know is because the police have asked the Elite 4 to get involved since a trainer did lose his Pokémon, and Lance thought it would be for the best. They'll make the official announcement the day after the closing ceremonies. I don't know much more than that, though."

"It's just weird," Gary said. "The reason they're out there is because of Mew. Why attack trainers and take their Pokémon? What good does that do? Wouldn't that draw attention to them?"

"Mew?" Crystal looked dumbfounded. "No one's said anything about Mew."

"It's been spotted in Kanto," Gary replied. "Grandpa said that the researchers and the Elite 4 have been trying to keep this quiet. It's only a matter of time before the public finds out." Gary was not about to be outdone when it came to his knowledge on the state of the Pokémon world.

"All this because of a wild goose chase?" Crystal asked. "Who's stupid enough to believe a story like that?" Staring at Gary's face, she realized her mistake. "I said something wrong again, didn't I?"

"I'm going after it," Gary said.

"Why?" Crystal asked, now looking at Gary like he'd grown a second head.

"Because I can," Gary replied.

"You have no better reason?" Crystal asked, raising an eyebrow. "It doesn't seem like you to believe in something like that."

"Gramps believes it. I don't get why you're so against the fact that it might exist."

"I'm not the only one," Crystal responded, stamping her foot. People don't think it exists because it doesn't just show itself. It's hard to believe something exists when you don't see it."

"Then I don't believe that you loved your grandfather," Gary said with a smirk.

"You know I do!"

"Show me."

Crystal paused. She had no way to respond to that.

"Told ya." The smug grin was still plastered on Gary's face.

Crystal was quiet as the two continued to walk along. Gary took the opportunity to peer over at his old friend. She seemed very much the same as she had been when she left for Fuchsia, except for being a little taller. Never wanting help and opening her mouth before she thought about what someone else might think were two qualities that she still possessed. When she still didn't say anything, he reached over and gently tugged on the hood of her sweatshirt.

"Hey," he said. "I wasn't trying to upset you. I just wanted you to see things my way."

"Did you have to do it with that look on your face?" she asked.

"What look?"

"That mean-looking grin."

"Uh…" To tell the truth, Gary hadn't thought much about the smirk he delivered to other trainers. Sure, Ash was the most frequent recipient, but that was mostly to get a rise out of him. "It's kind of my thing," Gary finally replied.

"Your 'thing'?"

"Look, I can help you get as far as Cerulean City, and then you can head through to Saffron and then to Celadon and Fuchsia," Gary said, once again changing the subject. He noticed he was doing a lot of that today.

"Why to Cerulean? And where exactly will you be going after that?"

"To talk to Bill, the pokémaniac, and wherever this Mew search leads me."

"What's Bill going to tell you?"

"I'm just hoping he might have heard something. I'm willing to listen to any rumors."

"And just why do you think I need your help getting to Cerulean? I can take care of myself, you know. I've been doing it for months now." She looked offended by his assumption that she couldn't make it home on her own.

"Well…" Gary wasn't about to tell her he was actually concerned now that she'd told him Team Rocket was out there. Gary Oak never worried. "What I mean," Gary began again, this time choosing his words carefully, "is that we're both headed in the same direction, so why not go together? We can catch up on a few things." No way was he letting Crystal travel by herself. She had been like a little sister to him when they were younger, and she was still like a little sister now. Besides, after traveling with his cheerleaders for over a year, he realized it could be odd without company. He definitely wasn't used to traveling alone.

"Uh huh," she replied. "Whether or not you actually mean that, you have a point. Besides," Crystal said, stopping in her tracks and pointing to a sign at the side of the road, "we're already in Viridian. Two more towns to go!"


End file.
